The University of Massachusetts Lowell is one of five University of Massachusetts campuses. It was formerly two schools, Lowell Tech and Lowell State, and even before that was the Lowell Textile Institute. It is well known for its engineering programs and is often considered the "Poor Mans' MIT."

The University consists of four campuses. The North Campus (formerly Academic North) is the Engineering campus, South Campus is the Liberal Arts Campus, and the East campus (formerly Residential North) Campus contains four dormitories and a recreational center, the Tsongas Arena and the Wannalancit Mills complex. The West Campus, located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, is home to UML's Demonstration School. You can see an OFFICIAL UML Map here .

The University also has a Division I Hockey team, which plays in the Hockey East conference. The River Hawks home ice is located at the Tsongas Arena.